Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage
Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition 1914–17
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- Preparations
- Loss of Endurance
- The open-boat journey
- Rescue
Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition 1914–17Main articles: Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, Ross Sea Party, and List of personnel of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition 
Map of the sea routes of Endurance, the James Caird, and Aurora, the overland supply depot route of the Ross Sea Party, and the planned overland route of the Weddell Sea Party led by Ernest Shackleton on his trans-Antarctic expedition of 1914–15: Voyage of Endurance Drift of Endurance in pack ice Sea ice drift after Endurance sinks Voyage of the James Caird Planned trans-Antarctic route Voyage of Aurora to Antarctica Retreat of Aurora Supply depot route PreparationsShackleton published details of his new expedition, grandly titled the "Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition", early in 1914. Two ships would be employed; Endurance would carry the main party into the Weddell Sea, aiming for Vahsel Bay from where a team of six, led by Shackleton, would begin the crossing of the continent. Meanwhile a second ship, the Aurora, would take a supporting party under Captain Aeneas Mackintosh to McMurdo Sound on the opposite side of the continent. This party would then lay supply depots across the Great Ice Barrier as far as the Beardmore Glacier, these depots holding the food and fuel that would enable Shackleton's party to complete their journey of 1,800 miles (2,900 km) across the continent.[73] Shackleton used his considerable fund-raising skills, and the expedition was financed largely by private donations, although the British government gave £10,000 (about £680,000 in 2008 terms). Scottish jute magnate Sir James Caird gave £24,000, Midlands industrialist Frank Dudley Docker gave £10,000 and tobacco heiress Janet Stancomb-Wills gave an undisclosed but reportedly "generous" sum.[74] Public interest in the expedition was considerable; Shackleton received more than 5,000 applications to join it.[75] His interviewing and selection methods sometimes seemed eccentric; believing that character and temperament were as important as technical ability,[76] he would ask unconventional questions. Thus physicist Reginald James was asked if he could sing;[77] others were accepted on sight because Shackleton liked the look of them, or after the briefest of interrogations.[78] Shackleton also loosened some traditional hierarchies, expecting all men, including the scientists, to take their share of ship's chores. He ultimately selected a crew of 56, twenty eight on each ship.[79] Despite the outbreak of the First World War on 3 August 1914, Endurance was directed by the First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill, to "proceed",[g] and left British waters on 8 August. Shackleton delayed his own departure until 27 September, meeting the ship in Buenos Aires.[80]
CrewWhilst Shackleton led the expedition' the Endurance was captained by Cpt. F. Worsley DSO. Lt. J. Stenhouse DSC captained the "Aurora". On the Endurance the second in command was the experienced explorer, Frank Wild. The meteorologist was Cpt. L. Hussey (also an able banjo player). Dr. McIlroy was head of the scientific staff, which also included Wordie. Dr. Macklin was the vet, in charge of keeping the 70 dogs healthy. Tom Crean was in more immediate charge as head dog-handler. Other crew included James, Hussey, Greenstreet, and Clark (the biologist). Of later independent fame was the photographer Frank Hurley. Dog names known are Shakespeare, Samson, Hercules (the strongest), Smiler, Surly, and Sire.[81]
Shackleton after the loss of Endurance Until this point Shackleton had hoped that the ship, when she was released from the ice, could work her way back towards Vahsel Bay. On 24 October, however, water began pouring in. After a few days, with the position at 69° 5′ S, 51° 30′ W, Shackleton gave the order to abandon ship, saying, "She's going down!"; and men, provisions and equipment were transferred to camps on the ice.[85] On 21 November 1915, the wreck finally slipped beneath the surface.[86] For almost two months Shackleton and his party camped on a large, flat floe, hoping that it would drift towards Paulet Island, approximately 250 miles (402 km) away, where it was known that stores were cached.[87] After failed attempts to march across the ice to this island, Shackleton decided to set up another more permanent camp (Patience Camp) on another floe, and trust to the drift of the ice to take them towards a safe landing.[88] By 17 March their ice camp was within 60 miles (97 km) of Paulet Island[89] but, separated by impassable ice, they were unable to reach it. On 9 April their ice floe broke into two, and Shackleton ordered the crew into the lifeboats, to head for the nearest land.[90] After five harrowing days at sea the exhausted men landed their three lifeboats at Elephant Island, 346 miles from where the Endurance sank.[81] This was the first time they had stood on solid ground for 497 days.[91] Shackleton's concern for his men was such that he gave his mittens to photographer Frank Hurley, who had lost his during the boat journey. Shackleton suffered frostbitten fingers as a result.[92] The open-boat journeyMain article: Voyage of the James Caird 
Launching the James Caird from the shore of Elephant Island, 24 April 1916. Elephant Island was an inhospitable place, far from any shipping routes. Consequently, Shackleton decided to risk an open-boat journey to the 800 mile distant South Georgia whaling stations, where he knew help was available.[93] The strongest of the tiny 20-foot (6.1 m) lifeboats, christened James Caird after the expedition's chief sponsor, was chosen for the trip.[93] Ship's carpenter Harry McNish made various improvements, including raising the sides, strengthening the keel, building a makeshift deck of wood and canvas, and sealing the work with oil paint and seal blood.[93] Shackleton chose five companions for the journey: Frank Worsley, "Endurance'"s captain, who would be responsible for navigation; Tom Crean, who had "begged to go"; two strong sailors in John Vincent and Timothy McCarthy, and finally the carpenter McNish.[93] Shackleton had clashed with McNish during the time when the party was stranded on the ice, but, while he would not forgive the carpenter's earlier insubordination, Shackleton recognised his value for this particular job.[h][94][95] Shackleton refused to pack supplies for more than four weeks, knowing that if they did not reach South Georgia within that time, the boat and its crew would be lost.[96] The James Caird was launched on 24 April 1916; during the next fifteen days it sailed through the waters of the southern ocean, at the mercy of the stormy seas, in constant peril of capsizing. On 8 May, thanks to Worsley's navigational skills, the cliffs of South Georgia came into sight but hurricane-force winds prevented the possibility of landing. The party were forced to ride out the storm offshore, in constant danger of being dashed against the rocks. They would later learn that the same hurricane had sunk a 500-ton steamer bound for South Georgia from Buenos Aires.[97] On the following day they were able, finally, to land on the unoccupied southern shore. After a period of rest and recuperation, rather than risk putting to sea again to reach the whaling stations on the northern coast, Shackleton decided to attempt a land crossing of the island. Although it is likely that Norwegian whalers had previously crossed at other points on ski, no one had attempted this particular route before.[98] Leaving McNish, Vincent and McCarthy at the landing point on South Georgia, Shackleton travelled 32 miles (51 km)[81] with Worsley and Crean over mountainous terrain for 36 hours to reach the whaling station at Stromness on 20 May.[99] The next successful crossing of South Georgia was in October 1955, by the British explorer Duncan Carse, who travelled much of the same route as Shackleton's party. In tribute to their achievement he wrote: "I do not know how they did it, except that they had to–three men of the heroic age of Antarctic exploration with 50 feet of rope between them–and a carpenter's adze".[100]
"All Safe, All Well", allegedly depicting Shackleton's return to Elephant Island, August 1916. However, a photograph of the departure of the James Caird in April was doctored by photographer Frank Hurley to create this image.[101] Shackleton immediately sent a boat to pick up the three men from the other side of South Georgia while he set to work to organise the rescue of the Elephant Island men, who had been isolated there for four and a half months. His first three attempts were foiled by sea ice, which blocked the approaches to the island. He appealed to the Chilean government, which offered the use of Yelcho, a small seagoing tug from its navy. Yelcho reached Elephant Island on 30 August, and Shackleton quickly evacuated all 22 men.[102] The Yelcho took the crew to Valparaiso in Chile where crowds warmly welcomed them back to civilisation. There remained the men of the Ross Sea Party, who were stranded at Cape Evans in McMurdo Sound, after Aurora had been blown from its anchorage and driven out to sea, unable to return. The ship, after a drift of many months, had returned to New Zealand. Shackleton travelled there to join Aurora, and sailed with her to the rescue of the Ross Sea party. This group, despite many hardships, had carried out its depot-laying mission to the full, but three lives had been lost, including that of its commander, Aeneas Mackintosh.[103] Directory: 2011 2011 -> Enterprise Network Management iPost: Implementing Continuous Risk Monitoring at the Department of State 2011 -> Voices of the Old Sea Norman Lewis 2011 -> Malevil Robert Merle 2011 -> The Elephant Keeper’s Children Peter Hoeg 2011 -> January 1: Ecstasy zZz January 2: King of Anything Sara Bareillis 2011 -> Tracks, Mixes, Masters, and More!: Analyzing Preservation Priorities for Multitrack Recordings 2011 -> Department of Electrical Engineering 2011 Annual Report 2011 -> Jv packet •Mars Colonization Affirmative •Mars Colonization Negative 2011 -> Asian Pacific Mathematical Olympiad(apmo) 2011 -> Registration Form (Rev. 8-86) omb no. 1024-0018 Download 174.72 Kb. Share with your friends:
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